Out For The Count
by mrsreynolds
Summary: It's Halloween at Pearson Hardman, and everyone's taking bets as to what Harvey's going as this year. Mildly slashy. One shot.


_Disclaimer: If I owned them, do you think I'd be writing this? Jeez._

_Previously published on livejournal._

* * *

><p>Donna sashayed into Harvey's office and laid out a black plastic suit bag carefully on the couch. "Here you go, Harvey," she said, hands on hips, "now are you going to tell me what's inside?"<p>

Harvey looked up from his report with a cocked eyebrow. "Donna, you're getting nothing out of me, and I don't know why you still try. You know my Halloween costume is always a surprise."

Donna gave him a knowing look. "Oh come on, Harvey, you can trust _me_ to keep a secret."

This he could not deny. "_Fine." _He zipped open the bag and Donna laughed. "Oh Harvey, it's so…it's so _you_.

"Thanks," said Harvey automatically, then frowned. "Hey! Wait!"

But Donna was already sashaying back to her desk, her laughter fading as she went.

* * *

><p>Mike hated parties. Parties really brought out his socially awkward tendencies; whenever he found himself talking to random strangers things came out of his mouth which had no place to. Once he'd told someone all about his irritable bowel syndrome. Over canapés. So when Rachel brought up the annual Pearson Hardman Halloween Bash he groaned.<p>

Rachel chuckled and patted his shoulder. "It'll be fun Mike, I promise. Who are you going to go as?"

Mike's head slid to the desk. "You mean it's fancy dress? Oh God, I hate fancy dress. Can I just not go?" he whined, looking up at her hopefully.

She smiled at him unsympathetically. "Nope. Company policy."

"You're kidding me, right?"

Rachel regarded him with amusement. ""Yes Mike. Of course I am. But Harvey won't like it if you don't go."

"What? Why?"

"Because, Mike," came a steely but instantly recognisable voice behind him, "It's my turn to organise it. And you're helping."

Harvey was always doing this to Mike. He seemed to just _appear_ behind him, like some supernatural creature of the night. Only scarier. Much, much scarier.

"I'm what now?" Mike faced his boss and saw the determination on his face. Mike sighed in resignation. "What do you want me to do?" he asked in a flat voice.

"How about you cheer the fuck up? It's a party, Mike, not a funeral," Harvey suggested, crooking his finger. "Now come with me, we've got supplies to order."

Rachel threw Mike a sympathetic -but nonetheless amused- look as he sloped off in Harvey's wake.

Mike hadn't dressed up for Halloween in a long time. The last time he'd been trick or treating was the year before his parents' death; Grammy had told him it was begging and he wasn't allowed to go after that. Truth was, he didn't really mind that much.

Now he was stuck. It was the day before the party and he still hadn't found anything to wear. Everyone was taking bets on Harvey's costume and Mike found himself not hating the idea as much as he had. Helping Harvey to arrange the party in Pearson Hardman's beautiful function room had been kind of fun, even though they'd argued over the décor. Mike had wanted to serve the punch out of huge scooped out pumpkins. Harvey had shaken his head in bemusement.

"What sort of an impression is that going to make?" he asked incredulously.

Mike looked at him. "Harvey, there are going to be people dressed as zombies and ghosts at this thing," he deadpanned. "Get some perspective."

He continued blowing up a shiny black balloon, sensing that Harvey was watching him the entire time. So he blew up all the rest. Slowly.

Inspiration finally hit Mike as he pedalled home. And his costume would be easy. He stopped at a drugstore to buy some supplies, smiling to himself the whole time.

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><p>Mike was late to arrive, and as he entered the room he had to admit that Harvey's decorations looked amazing. He didn't recognise anyone at first, and then realised that it was because all the costumes were throwing him off. With relief he realised that the gangster in the corner was in fact Rachel, and he walked up to her with a small wave.<p>

Rachel was looking at him in disbelief. "Are you who I think you are?" she laughed.

Mike gave her a look which he hoped communicated "I am so fucking amazing I don't even need to talk to you", which made her laugh even harder.

"Uh-huh," she wheezed eventually. "You're him all right."

Mike burst out laughing, but it faded as Rachel looked over his shoulder and blanched.

"Jesus, Harvey, are you behind me again?" he sighed, turning. "You're like some sort of …"

Mike found himself face to face with the sexiest Dracula he'd ever seen. "…vampire" he finished, swallowing.

Harvey looked absolutely fucking fantastic. This wasn't any old cheap shit vampire costume. Mike suspected that Harvey's tailor had been hard at work lately and his black suit was perfectly tailored to his body. Teamed with a heavy cape, snow white shirt and blood red cravat, Harvey was every inch the vampire of lore. He even had fangs. Mike suppressed the urge to reach out and test one with his finger.

"Wow," he said finally. "That's an amazing costume."

Harvey bowed theatrically, swishing his cape as he did so. "Thank you. I'm rather pleased with it myself. Now what are you supposed to be?"

Mike turned to Rachel for support and discovered with a jolt that she was now talking excitedly to Donna (or Jessica Rabbit) at least ten feet away. _Shit._

Mike laughed nervously. "Can't you tell?"

Harvey looked at Mike's gelled hair and the pin stripe suit.

"Is that _my_ _suit_?

"You remember I had to borrow it? And it's just back from the dry cleaner's, so I didn't think you'd mind just for one night." Mike knew he was rambling and pursed his mouth closed to stop any more words coming out.

"You didn't think I'd _mind_? Hold on, are you supposed to be _me_?"

Mike shrugged. "I thought you'd find it funny."

Harvey's mouth grew into a huge smile of delight. "I love it!" he laughed. "You could have chosen to come as anything or anyone." His smile softened, "And you came as me."

Mike's lips parted involuntarily at Harvey's soft words, and he watched in fascination as the older man's gaze lowered to look at them intently.

"Harvey?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you glamouring me?"

"I don't know what that means."

"Never mind."

"Mike?"

"Mmm?"

"Should I be?"

"It's not really necessary." Hurt flashed momentarily across Harvey's face and Mike took a deep breath. "What I mean is, I'm yours anyway."

Harvey's eyes darkened and he leaned in close to whisper in Mike's ear. "I know".

And with a swish of the cape, he was gone.

Mike watched jealously as he laughed with Jessica, who was dressed as some sort of fabulous space cowboy in tight trousers and a leather vest. All that was missing was a gun.

"So Mike, thought you'd be funny did you?"

Mike turned his head to look at Louis, who was dressed as a Roman emperor.

"Harvey liked it," he said, pulling at his beer. "I see you didn't bother dressing up, Louis?"

And once again he was alone.

A little later, Donna sidled over to him, following his gaze and smiling. "He and Jessica go back a long way, you know. She mentored him when he was a pup like you."

"So they've never…?"

"No Mike. And they never would. It's not that kind of relationship. And besides…"

Mike looked at her expectantly.

"Never mind. It's not my place. You'll have to ask him yourself."

The party was breaking up when Harvey found Mike again, sitting in a quiet corner and nursing the last of too many beers.

"Come on, Harvey, let's go home," said Harvey, offering Mike his hand.

Mike looked confused for a moment and then smiled drunkenly. "It's funny because I'm you," he slurred. "We're so handsome."

"Yes we are," Harvey agreed in amusement, throwing an arm around Mike's shoulders. "Too damn handsome for words."

When they slithered into Harvey's limousine, Mike rested his head on Harvey's shoulder tiredly.

"Harvey?"

"Yes Mike."

"Are you going to try to bite me now?"

Harvey laughed. "Yes Mike."

"Will it hurt?"

Harvey's hand cupped Mike's chin to tilt his face up and he surveyed him gravely. "Only a little," he teased.

"Good. I don't want it to hurt."

Harvey felt Mike relax against him as sleep overtook him. He swallowed hard and kissed the top of Mike's head fondly.

"Oh Mike, don't you know yet? I could never hurt you."

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><p>Mike knew he wasn't in his own bed the moment he woke up. This bed was twice the size of his, and more pressingly there was someone sleeping alongside him. Not someone.<p>

Harvey.

One arm was flung over Mike's hip; the other curled alongside his head as if he's been stroking Mike's hair before he fell asleep.

The Dracula costume lay neatly folded on a chair, alongside a familiar pinstripe suit. _Oh fuck. _

Harvey shifted his weight and Mike closed his eyes, feigning sleep.

"Morning mini-me," murmured Harvey in a sleep rusty voice. "I know you're awake. And don't worry; I was a perfect gentleman last night. I wasn't planning on it, but your passing out kind of left me with no choice." He stretched out his hand and ruffled Mike's hair. "My God, is that what my hair looks like in the morning?"

Mike cautiously opened an eye and smiled in spite of himself. "No," he said shyly. "Yours looks lovely."

Mike experienced a memory dump from the previous evening and his heart rate increased. The party, the limo, Harvey telling him he'd never hurt him when he thought he was sleeping.

He propped himself up on his elbow and gazed at Harvey. "Donna was going to tell me something last night. About you. But she said it wasn't her place; that I should ask you."

Harvey met his gaze and quirked a smile. "Do you really need me to tell you?"

Mike didn't. It was there in Harvey's eyes. "No. But I want to hear it anyway."

"Come closer then," said Harvey.

His lips found Mike's neck and he kissed his way up to Mike's ear. "Mike Ross," he murmured in a way that made Mike shudder, "I vont to suck your blood."

Mike started laughing, and didn't stop until Harvey kissed him.


End file.
